Electronic device and communication method thereof

ABSTRACT

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device and a communication method thereof. The electronic device includes a housing comprising a first plate and a second plate facing a direction opposite the first plate; a first transceiver disposed in the housing; a second transceiver disposed in the housing and to having a data throughput lower than that of the first transceiver; at least one processor operatively connected to the first transceiver and to the second transceiver; and a memory operative connected to the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: determining whether the data throughput of the first transceiver is equal to or greater than a designated reference value, monitoring a temperature of the first transceiver when the data throughput is equal to or greater than the designated reference value, and determining whether to perform a handover from the first transceiver to the second transceiver based at least in part on whether the monitored temperature is equal to or higher than a first designated reference temperature.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/198,923 filed on Nov. 23, 2018, and based on and claims priorityunder 35 U.S.C. § 119 from Korean Patent Application No.10-2017-0158289, filed on Nov. 24, 2017, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1) Field

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronicdevice and a communication method thereof.

2) Description of Related Art

An electronic device can provide various functions. For example, theelectronic device may provide a voice communication function, ashort-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or nearfield communication (NFC)), a mobile communication (e.g.,3^(rd)-generation (3G) or 4^(th) generation (4G)), music or videoplayback, a camera, and/or positioning and navigation.

In recent years, electronic devices that support a variety of high-speedcommunication mechanisms (e.g., millimeter wave (mmWave) communication{e.g., Wireless Gigabits (WiGig), 802.11ay, or 5G}) capable oftransmitting large amounts of data in a short period of time have beendeveloped.

The increasing functions can cause the electronic device to overheat.Accordingly, it is important to prevent overheating and improve thelifetime of the electronic device.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determinationhas been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

When high-speed communication is performed for a long period of time,the electronic device may overheat due to a high data throughput and/ora high current consumption. Due to the overheating of the electronicdevice, the performance and/or lifetime of components (e.g., a 5Gcommunication processor integrated chip (IC) or a high-speedcommunication IC such as a WiGig IC) of the electronic device may beshortened. Further, due to the overheating of the electronic device, auser may suffer a low-temperature burn.

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic devicethat may prevent overheating during high-speed communications and amethod thereof.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electronicdevice that may perform a handover from high-speed communication toanother form of communication when the electronic device overheats dueto the high-speed communication, and a method thereof.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice includes a housing comprising a first plate and a second platefacing a direction opposite the first plate; a first transceiverdisposed in the housing; a second transceiver disposed in the housingand to having a data throughput lower than that of the firsttransceiver; at least one processor operatively connected to the firsttransceiver and to the second transceiver; and a memory operativeconnected to the at least one processor, wherein the memory storesinstructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor toperform operations comprising: determining whether the data throughputof the first transceiver is equal to or greater than a designatedreference value, monitoring a temperature of the first transceiver whenthe data throughput is equal to or greater than the designated referencevalue, and determining whether to perform a handover from the firsttransceiver to the second transceiver based at least in part on whetherthe monitored temperature is equal to or higher than a first designatedreference temperature. In accordance with another aspect of thedisclosure, a portable communication device includes one or moretemperature sensors; a first transceiver configured to communicate usinga first communication protocol; a second transceiver configured tocommunicate using a second communication protocol; and at least oneprocessor operatively connected to the first transceiver and the secondtransceiver, wherein the processor performs operations comprisingestablishing a first communication link between the portablecommunication device and an external electronic device using the firsttransceiver, identifying the temperature of the first transceiver usingat least one temperature sensor of the one or more temperature sensorswhile performing wireless communication between the portablecommunication device and the external electronic device through thefirst communication connection, and performing a handover, when thetemperature of the first transceiver is equal to or higher than adesignated temperature, wherein performing the handover comprisesestablishing a second communication link between the portablecommunication device and the external electronic device using the secondtransceiver and terminating the first communication link.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, anelectronic device includes a first wireless transceiver configured totransmit and/or receive a first signal having a first frequency between3 GHz and 100 GHz; a second wireless transceiver configured to transmitand/or receive a second signal having a second frequency lower than thefirst frequency; and a controller, wherein the controller is configuredto perform operations comprising: wirelessly communicating first datawith an external device using the first wireless transceiver, monitoringusage of the first wireless transceiver while communicating with theexternal device, and wirelessly communicating second data with theexternal device using the second wireless transceiver on behalf of thefirst wireless transceiver, based at least partly on the monitoredusage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device within anetwork environment according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according toan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a block diagram illustrating a first communication module anda second communication module according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3B is a block diagram illustrating a first communication module anda second communication module according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication operation of anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are flowcharts illustrating a communicationoperation of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5C is an exemplary diagram illustrating an example of notifying auser of handover of an electronic device according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of monitoring thetemperature of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of monitoring thetemperature of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of monitoring thetemperature of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, certain embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. The presentdocument is intended to illustrate and not to limit the specificembodiments of the certain embodiments of the present disclosure to theparticular forms illustrated and described in the accompanying drawings.For example, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that theembodiments of the present disclosure can be modified in various ways.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in anetwork environment 100 according to certain embodiments. Referring toFIG. 1, the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 maycommunicate with an electronic device 102 via a first network 198 (e.g.,a short-range wireless communication network), or an electronic device104 or a server 108 via a second network 199 (e.g., a long-rangewireless communication network). According to an embodiment, theelectronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 viathe server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101may include a processor 120, memory 130, an input device 150, a soundoutput device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, a sensormodule 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180,a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module190, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module197. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display device 160 orthe camera module 180) of the components may be omitted from theelectronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added inthe electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the componentsmay be implemented as single integrated circuitry. For example, thesensor module 176 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or anilluminance sensor) may be implemented as embedded in the display device160 (e.g., a display).

The processor 120 may execute, for example, software (e.g., a program140) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware orsoftware component) of the electronic device 101 coupled with theprocessor 120, and may perform various data processing or computation.According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing orcomputation, the processor 120 may load a command or data received fromanother component (e.g., the sensor module 176 or the communicationmodule 190) in volatile memory 132, process the command or the datastored in the volatile memory 132, and store resulting data innon-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)or an application processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g.,a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), asensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that isoperable independently from, or in conjunction with, the main processor121. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 123 may beadapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or to bespecific to a specified function. The auxiliary processor 123 may beimplemented as separate from, or as part of the main processor 121.

The auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of functions orstates related to at least one component (e.g., the display device 160,the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) among thecomponents of the electronic device 101, instead of the main processor121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state,or together with the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 isin an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to anembodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processoror a communication processor) may be implemented as part of anothercomponent (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communication module 190)functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component(e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176) of the electronicdevice 101. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g.,the program 140) and input data or output data for a command relatedthererto. The memory 130 may include the volatile memory 132 or thenon-volatile memory 134.

The program 140 may be stored in the memory 130 as software, and mayinclude, for example, an operating system (OS) 142, middleware 144, oran application 146.

The input device 150 may receive a command or data to be used by othercomponent (e.g., the processor 120) of the electronic device 101, fromthe outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The inputdevice 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard,or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The sound output device 155 may output sound signals to the outside ofthe electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, forexample, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for generalpurposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record, and the receivermay be used for an incoming calls. According to an embodiment, thereceiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker.

The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside(e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The display device 160 mayinclude, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector andcontrol circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display,hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the displaydevice 160 may include touch circuitry adapted to detect a touch, orsensor circuitry (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure theintensity of force incurred by the touch.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electrical signal andvice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtainthe sound via the input device 150, or output the sound via the soundoutput device 155 or a headphone of an external electronic device (e.g.,an electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly coupledwith the electronic device 101.

The sensor module 176 may detect an operational state (e.g., power ortemperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state(e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 101, andthen generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to thedetected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 mayinclude, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmosphericpressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gripsensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, abiometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or anilluminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols to be usedfor the electronic device 101 to be coupled with the external electronicdevice (e.g., the electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wiredly) orwirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include,for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universalserial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or anaudio interface.

A connecting terminal 178 may include a connector via which theelectronic device 101 may be physically connected with the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to anembodiment, the connecting terminal 178 may include, for example, a HDMIconnector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector(e.g., a headphone connector).

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanicalstimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus whichmay be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation or kinestheticsensation. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 mayinclude, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electricstimulator.

The camera module 180 may capture a still image or moving images.According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one ormore lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to theelectronic device 101. According to one embodiment, the power managementmodule 188 may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a powermanagement integrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 mayinclude, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, asecondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g.,wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel betweenthe electronic device 101 and the external electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108) andperforming communication via the established communication channel. Thecommunication module 190 may include one or more communicationprocessors that are operable independently from the processor 120 (e.g.,the application processor (AP)) and supports a direct (e.g., wired)communication or a wireless communication. According to an embodiment,the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wirelesscommunication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a localarea network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication(PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules maycommunicate with the external electronic device via the first network198 (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™,wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA))or the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network,such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g.,LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These various types of communicationmodules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip),or may be implemented as multi components (e.g., multi chips) separatefrom each other. The wireless communication module 192 may identify andauthenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network, suchas the first network 198 or the second network 199, using subscriberinformation (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI))stored in the subscriber identification module 196.

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to orfrom the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the antenna module197 may include an antenna including a radiating element composed of aconductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate(e.g., PCB). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 mayinclude a plurality of antennas. In such a case, at least one antennaappropriate for a communication scheme used in the communicationnetwork, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199, may beselected, for example, by the communication module 190 (e.g., thewireless communication module 192) from the plurality of antennas. Thesignal or the power may then be transmitted or received between thecommunication module 190 and the external electronic device via theselected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, anothercomponent (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other thanthe radiating element may be additionally formed as part of the antennamodule 197.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutuallyand communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via aninter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purposeinput and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobileindustry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted orreceived between the electronic device 101 and the external electronicdevice 104 via the server 108 coupled with the second network 199. Eachof the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be a device of a same type as,or a different type, from the electronic device 101. According to anembodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronicdevice 101 may be executed at one or more of the external electronicdevices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if the electronic device 101should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response toa request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101,instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service,may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform atleast part of the function or the service. The one or more externalelectronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least partof the function or the service requested, or an additional function oran additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome ofthe performing to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101may provide the outcome, with or without further processing of theoutcome, as at least part of a reply to the request. To that end, acloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computingtechnology may be used, for example.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according toan embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 3A is a block diagramillustrating a first communication module and a second communicationmodule according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 3Bis a block diagram illustrating a first communication module and asecond communication module according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. It shall be understood that term communicationmodule as used in this document includes “transceiver.”

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 3B, an electronic device 200 (e.g., theelectronic device 101) according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure may include at least one processor 210 (e.g., the processor120, hereinafter, shall be referred to as “processor”), a memory 220(e.g., the memory 130), a display 230 (e.g., the display device 160), afirst communication module 240 (e.g., the wireless communication module192), a second communication module 250 (e.g., the wirelesscommunication module 192), and a temperature sensor 260 (a temperaturesensor 260 may include, among other things, a thermometer). Theprocessor 210, the memory 220, the display 230, the first communicationmodule 240, the second communication module 250, and the temperaturesensor 260 may be arranged within a housing (not shown) of theelectronic device 200. The housing may include a first plate and asecond plate facing a direction opposite the direction of the firstplate.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 210may control handover between the first communication module 240 and thesecond communication module 250. For example, the processor 210 mayestablish a first communication connection with an external electronicdevice using the first communication module 240, and may performwireless communication with the external electronic device through thefirst communication connection. For purposes of this document,“communication connection” includes a “communication link.” A“communication link” includes a wireless link. The processor 210 maymonitor (e.g., identify, measure, or estimate) the temperature of thefirst communication module 240 when the first communication module 240performs high-speed communication over a designated range (e.g., whenthe data throughput of the first communication module 240 is equal to orgreater than a reference value). According to some embodiments, theprocessor 210 may monitor the temperature of the first communicationmodule 240 while performing wireless communication with the externalelectronic device through the first communication connection.

The processor 210 may perform handover from the first communicationmodule 240 to the second communication module 250 when the temperatureof the first communication module 240 satisfies (e.g., is higher than(or exceeds)) a first designated temperature (a first referencetemperature (e.g., 50 degrees C./122 degrees F.)). For example, theprocessor 210 may conditionally perform a handover, wherein a secondcommunication connection is established that wirelessly communicateswith the external electronic device using the second communicationmodule 250 and the first communication connection is terminated shortly(a minimum amount of time required to verify and notify the externaldevice) after the second communication connection is established, whenthe monitored (or identified) temperature satisfies the first referencetemperature.

According to an embodiment, the processor 210 may conditionally performthe handover with the added condition that a received signal of thesecond communication module 250 is equal to or greater than (or exceeds)a designated reference electric field (e.g., −90 dBm). A method ofmonitoring the temperature of the first communication module 240 will bedescribed later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 210may turn off the power of the first communication module 240 whenperforming handover from the first communication module 240 to thesecond communication module 250. In another example, the processor 210may reduce service quality (e.g., resolution) based on the performance(e.g., data throughput, data processing amount, or transmission speed)of the second communication module 250. For example, the processor 210may change from video data having 4K ultra high definition (UHD) imagequality, which was transmitted using the first communication module 240,to video data having full HD (FHD) image quality, and may transmit theconverted video data to an external device (e.g., TV) using the secondcommunication module 250. According to an embodiment, the processor 210may provide a user interface providing notification that the servicequality has been changed due to the overheating of the electronic device200.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 210may monitor the temperature of the first communication module 240 whenperforming handover to the second communication module 250, and mayperform handover from the second communication module 250 to the firstcommunication module 240 when the temperature of the first communicationmodule 240 satisfies (e.g., is equal to or lower than or below) a seconddesignated temperature (a second reference temperature (e.g., 30 degreesC./88 degrees F.)), which is lower than the first designatedtemperature. According to an embodiment, the second referencetemperature may be set equal to the first reference temperature.According to an embodiment, the processor 210 may perform handover fromthe second communication module 250 to the first communication module240 when a received signal of the first communication module 240 isequal to or greater than (or exceeds) the designated reference electricfield (e.g., −90 dBm).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 210may restore the service quality when performing handover from the secondcommunication module 250 to the first communication module 240. Forexample, the processor 210 may transmit the video data with 4K UHD imagequality, other than the video data with FHD image quality, to theexternal device using the first communication module 240. According toan embodiment, the processor 210 may provide a user interface providingnotification that handover from the second communication module 250 tothe first communication module 240 has been performed.

According to an embodiments of the present disclosure, the referencetemperature for the bandover may be set differently for each application(app), function, or service. For example, even if the temperature of thefirst communication module 240 satisfies the first reference temperatureduring a designated app that a real-time communication is important (orrequired) is executing, the processor 210 does not perform handover tothe second communication module 250 until a third designated temperature(a third reference temperature) (e.g., 60 degrees) is satisfied, and maycommunicate with the external electronic device via the firstcommunication module 240. The third reference temperature is equal to orgreater than the first reference temperature.

According to an embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor 210may not handover to the second communication module 250 based on aremaining time until an end of the first communication connection evenif the temperature of the first communication module 240 satisfies thefirst reference temperature. For example, if the temperature of thefirst communication module 240 satisfies the first reference temperatureduring the first communication module 240 is used to stream ahigh-quality moving image or download large-capacity data, the processor210 may determine a remaining time until the streaming or download isended, and not hand over to the second communication module 250 if thedetermined time is less than (or less than) a designated time (e.g., 3minutes).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 220 maybe operatively (or functionally) connected to the processor 210. Thememory 220 may store various programs for operating the electronicdevice 200, and may store data generated or downloaded while performingthe various programs. In another example, the memory 220 may storevarious commands and/or instructions for execution by the processor 210causing the processor to perform various operations. The memory 220 mayinclude at least one of an internal memory and an external memory. Forexample, the memory 220 may store a program code, instruction(s), and/ora command(s) for preventing overheating of the electronic device 200through handover.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 220 maystore a look-up table for controlling the handover of the electronicdevice 200. For example, the look-up table may include a first look-uptable (Table 1) that stores reference conditions for performing handoverfrom the first communication module 240 to the second communicationmodule 250 and a second look-up table (Table 2) that stores referenceconditions for performing handover from the second communication module250 to the first communication module 240.

TABLE 1 Parameter Reference conditions Temperature 50 degrees C/122degrees F (first reference temperature) Data throughput and operatingOperating at throughput of 2 Gbps for 30 time minutes or more Currentconsumption and Current consumption of 400 mA or more operating timecontinues for 30 minutes or more Operating time First communicationmodule operates for 1 hour or more

TABLE 2 Parameters Reference conditions Temperature 30 degrees C/88degrees F (second reference temperature) Time 20 minutes (off time offirst communication module)

Table 1 and Table 2 are merely examples, and are not limited to theembodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the first referencetemperature and the second reference temperature may be set as the samevalue or within a sufficient threshold of each other (5 degrees C./9degrees F.) to prevent excessive handovers due to minimal variations. Inanother example, the first look-up table may include only some of thefour reference conditions of Table 1. In still another example, thefirst look-up table may further include other reference conditions(e.g., operating at a throughput of 3 Gbps for 20 minutes or more, or acurrent consumption of 500 mA or more continues for 15 minutes or more).According to an embodiment, the second look-up table may include some ofthe reference conditions of Table 2, or may further include otherreference conditions.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display 230may be exposed to the outside through a part of the housing and mayprovide an output function. For example, the display 230 may be formedof a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display,an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) display, or an electronic paper display.According to an embodiment, the display 230 may include a touch panel(not shown) that senses a touch input. For example, the touch panel maysense (or recognize) a change in physical characteristics (capacitanceor frequency) by various touch inputs (e.g., tap, double tap, touch,touch movement, multi-touch, pressure touch, etc.) using an input toolsuch as a finger or a stylus pen, and may transmit the sensed change tothe processor 210. The touch panel may further include a first panel(not shown) for sensing a touch using a finger, a second panel (notshown) for recognizing the stylus pen, and/or a third panel (not shown)for sensing pressure. According to an embodiment, a partial region ofthe touch panel may be set as a region for fingerprint recognition.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display 230may display the same screen as a screen which is currently transmittedto an external device. The display 230 may display a user interfacescreen providing notification that handover from the first communicationmodule 240 to the second communication module 250 or handover from thesecond communication module 250 to the first communication module 240has been performed. According to an embodiment, the display 230 maydisplay a user interface providing notification that the service quality(e.g., resolution) has been changed.

According to an embodiment, the first communication module 240 may belocated within the housing, and may support a first communicationprotocol (e.g., mmWave communication). For example, the firstcommunication module 240 may be a WiGig (or 802.11ay) module 340, asshown in FIG. 3A. In another example, the first communication module 240may be a 5G new radio (NR) communication module 360 as shown in FIG. 3B.The first communication module 240 may transmit and/or receive a firstsignal having a first frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz.

According to an embodiment, the second communication module 250 maysupport a second communication protocol and may have a lower datathroughput (e.g., lower speed, lower bandwidth, lower heat generation,and/or lower power) compared to the first communication module 240. Forexample, the second communication module 250 may be a Wi-Fi module 350,as shown in FIG. 3A. In another example, the second communication module250 may be a cellular communication module, such as a long-termevolution (LTE) module 370, as shown in FIG. 3B. The secondcommunication module 250 may transmit and/or receive a second signalhaving a second frequency lower than the first frequency.

According to an embodiment, a handover may be performed between thefirst communication module 240 and the second communication module 250.For example, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, the electronic device 200may establish a link for wireless communication with an external devicethrough the first communication module 240 (e.g., the WiGig module 340),and may provide mirroring services. For example, the electronic device200 may transmit video data of 4K UHD to the external device through thefirst communication module 240 (e.g., the WiGig module 340). When thetemperature of the first communication module 240 (the WiGig module 340)increases to the first reference temperature (e.g., 50 degrees C./122degrees F.) or higher, the electronic device 200 may perform handoverfrom the first communication module 240 (the WiGig module 340) to thesecond communication module 250 (e.g., a Wi-Fi module 350), and when thetemperature of the first communication module 240 (the WiGig module 340)decreases to the second reference temperature (e.g., 30 degrees C./88degrees F.) or lower, the electronic device 200 may perform handoverfrom the second communication module 250 (the Wi-Fi module 350) to thefirst communication module 240 (the WiGig module 340) again. In someembodiments, the electronic device 200 may control handover between thefirst communication module 240 (the WiGig module 340) and the secondcommunication module 250 (the Wi-Fi module 350) based on one referencetemperature.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3A, the WiGig module 340 may include, forexample, a WiGig baseband module 341 and a WiGig integration module 343in which a communication circuit and an array antenna are integrated.The Wi-Fi module 350 may include, for example, a Wi-Fi integrationmodule 351 in which a baseband and a communication circuit areintegrated and an antenna 353. For example, the WiGig module 340 and theWi-Fi module 350 may be separate components. In another example, theWiGig module 340 and the Wi-Fi module 350 may be mounted at differentpositions. FIG. 3A is only an example, and is not limited to theembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3B, the electronic device 200 according to anembodiment may perform handover from the first communication module 240(e.g., a 5G NR communication module 360) to the second communicationmodule 250 (e.g., an LTE module 370) when the temperature of the firstcommunication module 240 (e.g., 5G NR communication module 360)increases to the first reference temperature or higher whiletransmitting data through the first communication module 240 (e.g., the5G NR communication module 360), and may perform handover from thesecond communication module 250 (e.g., the LTE module 370) to the firstcommunication module 240 (e.g., 5G NR communication module 360) againwhen the temperature of the first communication module 240 (e.g., the 5GNR communication module 360) decreases to the second referencetemperature or lower in the handover state. According to someembodiments, the electronic device 200 may control handover between thefirst communication module 240 (e.g., the 5G NR communication module360) and the second communication module 250 (e.g., the LTE module 370)based on one designated temperature.

According to an embodiment, the 5G NR module 360 may include a 5Gcommunication processor (CP) 361 that supports a 5G communicationspecification (or protocol), a first communication circuit 363 (e.g.,IFIC) that converts a baseband signal into a signal in an intermediatefrequency (e.g., 11 GHz) band or converts a signal in the intermediatefrequency band into a baseband signal, a second communication circuit365 (e.g., RFIC) that converts a signal in an intermediate frequencyband into a signal in a radio-frequency (e.g., 28 GHz) band or convertsa signal in a radio-frequency band into a signal in an intermediatefrequency band, and an array antenna 367.

According to an embodiment, the LTE module 370 may include an AP 371including a 4G CP, a third communication circuit (e.g., transceiver)373, a front-end 375, a power amplifier module integrated duplexer(PAMid) 377, and an antenna 379.

According to an embodiment, the 5G NR communication module 360 and theLTE module 370 may be separate components, and may be mounted atdifferent positions. FIG. 3B is an only example, and is not intended tolimit the embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, in FIG. 3B,the third communication circuit 373 processes wireless signals in a sub6 GHz band and an LTE band. However, a transceiver for processingwireless signals in the sub 6 GHz band may be formed separately. Inanother example, the 4G CP may be formed separately from the AP 371.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperaturesensor 260 may be located around the first communication module 240 tomeasure the temperature of the first communication module 240. Forexample, the temperature sensor 260 may be a thermistor whose resistancevalue varies according to the temperature. However, the embodiments ofthe present disclosure are not limited thereto, and various temperaturesensors may be used.

According to an embodiment, the temperature sensor 260 may be activatedwhen the data throughput of the first communication module 240 is equalto or higher than a reference value. According to an embodiment, thetemperature sensor 260 may be omitted. For example, when the processor210 estimates the temperature using at least one of a data throughput,an operating time, and/or a current consumption of the firstcommunication module 240, the temperature sensor 260 may be omitted.

An electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 101 or the electronicdevice 200) according to certain embodiments of the present disclosuremay include a housing configured to include a first plate and a secondplate facing a direction opposite the first plate; a first transceiver(e.g., the first communication module 240, the WiGig module 340, or the5G NR module 360) configured to be disposed in the housing; a secondtransceiver (e.g., the second communication module 250, the Wi-Fi module350, or the LTE module 370) configured to be disposed in the housing andto have a data throughput lower than that of the first transceiver; atleast one processor (e.g., the processor 120 or processor 210)operatively connected to the first transceiver and to the secondtransceiver; and a memory (e.g., the memory 130 or memory 220)configured operatively connected to the processor, wherein the memorymay store, when executed, instructions that cause the processor toperform operations comprising determining whether the data throughput ofthe first transceiver is equal to or greater than a designated referencevalue, monitoring the temperature of the first transceiver when the datathroughput is equal to or greater than the designated reference value,and to determining whether to perform a handover from the firsttransceiver to the second transceiver based at least in part on whetherthe monitored temperature is equal to or higher than a first designatedreference temperature.

According to certain embodiments, the operations may further comprisedetermining whether the intensity of a received signal of the secondtransceiver is equal to or greater than a designated reference electricfield, performing the handover when the intensity of the received signalof the second transceiver is equal to or more than the designatedreference electric field, and to maintaining data communication throughthe first transceiver when the intensity of the received signal of thesecond transceiver is less than the designated reference electric field.

According to certain embodiments, the operations may further compriseperiodically monitoring the temperature of the first transceiver afterperforming handover, and determining whether to perform a handover fromthe second transceiver back to the first transceiver based at least inpart on whether the temperature of the first transceiver decreases to adesignated second reference temperature or lower.

According to certain embodiments, the operations may further comprisedetermining whether the intensity of a received signal of the firsttransceiver is equal to or greater than that of a designated referenceelectric field when the temperature of the first transceiver decreasesto the second reference temperature or lower, to perform handover fromthe second transceiver to the first transceiver when the intensity ofthe received signal of the first transceiver is equal to or greater thanthat of the reference electric field, and to maintain data communicationthrough the second transceiver when the intensity of the received signalof the first transceiver is less than that of the reference electricfield.

According to certain embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a display (e.g., the display device 160 or the display 230), andthe operations may further comprise displaying, on the display,performed handover notification.

According to certain embodiments, the instructions may cause theprocessor to adjust the quality of data communication based on theperformance of the second transceiver while performing the handover.

According to certain embodiments, the electronic device may furtherinclude a temperature sensor (e.g., the temperature sensor 260), and theoperations may further comprise periodically measuring the temperatureof the first transceiver through the temperature sensor.

According to certain embodiments, the operations may further comprisedetermining whether the operating time of the first transceiver is equalto or longer than a designated reference time, and determining that thetemperature of the first transceiver is equal to or higher than a firstreference temperature when the operating time of the first transceiveris equal to or longer than the reference time.

According to certain embodiments, the operations may further comprisemeasuring the current consumption of the first transceiver, identifyingthe operating time of the first transceiver when the measured currentconsumption exceeds a designated reference current, and determining thatthe temperature of the first transceiver is equal to or higher than thefirst reference temperature when the operating time of the firsttransceiver is equal to or longer than the designated reference time.

According to certain embodiments, the first transceiver may be a WiGigtransceiver (e.g., the WiGig module 340) supporting a WiGig protocol,and the second transceiver may be a Wi-Fi transceiver (e.g., the Wi-Fimodule 350) supporting a Wi-Fi protocol.

According to certain embodiments, the first transceiver may be a 5G NRcommunication module (e.g., the 5G NR module 360), and the secondtransceiver may be an LTE communication module (e.g., the LTE module370).

According to certain embodiments, the memory may store a table thatstores reference conditions for handover between the first transceiverand the second transceiver.

A portable communication device (e.g., the electronic device 101 or theelectronic device 200) according to certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure may include one or more temperature sensors (e.g., thetemperature sensor 260); a first transceiver (e.g., the firstcommunication module 240, the WiGig module 340, or the 5G NR module 360)configured to support a first communication protocol; a secondtransceiver (e.g., the second communication module 250, Wi-Fi module350, or LTE module 370) configured to support a second communicationprotocol; and at least one processor (e.g., the processor 120 orprocessor 210) operatively connected to the first transceiver and thesecond transceiver, wherein the at least one processor performsoperations comprising establish a first communication link between theportable communication device and an external electronic device usingthe first transceiver; identifying the temperature of the firsttransceiver using at least one temperature sensor of the one or moretemperature sensors while performing wireless communication between theportable communication device and the external electronic device throughthe first communication connection; and performing a handover, when thetemperature of the first transceiver is equal to or higher than adesignated temperature, wherein performing the handover comprisesestablishing a second communication link between the portablecommunication device and the external electronic device using the secondtransceiver and terminating the first communication link.

According to certain embodiments, the operations may further comprisedetermining whether a data throughput of the first transceiver is equalto or greater than a designated reference value, and to identify thetemperature of the first transceiver when the data throughput of thefirst transceiver is equal to or greater than the reference value.

According to certain embodiments, wherein identifying the temperature ofthe first transceiver further comprises identifying the temperature ofthe first transceiver based on the operating time of the firsttransceiver.

According to certain embodiments, the wherein identifying thetemperature of the first transceiver identifying the temperature of thefirst transceiver based on a current consumption by the firsttransceiver.

According to certain embodiments, the designated temperature may includea first designated temperature and a second designated temperature, andthe operations further comprise performing handover when the identifiedtemperature satisfies the first designated temperature, and performinganother handover when the temperature of the first transceiver satisfiesthe second designated temperature while wireless communication isperformed between the portable electronic device and the externalelectronic device through the second communication connection, whereinthe another handover comprises re-establishing the first communicationlink and terminating the second communication link.

An electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 101 or the electronicdevice 200) according to certain embodiments of the present disclosuremay include a first wireless transceiver (e.g., the first communicationmodule 240, WiGig module 340, or 5G NR module 360) configured totransmit and/or receive a first signal having a first frequency between3 GHz and 100 GHz; a second wireless transceiver (e.g., the secondcommunication module 250, Wi-Fi module 350, or LTE module 370)configured to transmit and/or receive a second signal having a secondfrequency lower than the first frequency; and a control circuit (e.g.,the processor 120 or the processor 210), a controller, wherein thecontroller is configured to perform operations comprising wirelesslycommunicating first data with an external device using the firstwireless transceiver, monitoring the usage of the first wirelesstransceiver while communicating with the external device, and towirelessly communicating second data with the external device using thesecond wireless transceiver on behalf of the first wireless transceiver,based at least partly on the monitored usage.

According to certain embodiments, the second wireless transceiver maysupport Wi-Fi or cellular communication.

According to certain embodiments, wherein the operations furthercomprise performing a first determination as to whether data throughputthrough the first wireless transceiver exceeds a designated datathroughput, and to monitor the usage based at least partly on the resultof the first determination.

According to certain embodiments, the operations further compriseperforming a second determination as to whether the monitored usageexceeds a designated usage, and performing a third determination as towhether the intensity of a signal detected by the second wirelesscommunication module exceeds a designated strength based at least partlyon the result of the second determination.

According to certain embodiments, the operations further compriseperforming a handover to wirelessly communicate with the external deviceusing the second wireless transceiver on behalf of the first wirelesstransceiver, based at least partly on the result of the thirddetermination, and the first data may include video data having a firstresolution and the second data may include video data having a secondresolution smaller than the first resolution.

According to certain embodiments, the control circuit may be configuredto monitor the usage based on at least one of an operating time, a datathroughput, and a current consumption of the first wirelesscommunication module.

According to certain embodiments, the first resolution may be a UHD, andthe second resolution may be an FHD.

An electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 101 or electronicdevice 200) according to certain embodiments of the present disclosuremay include a first wireless communication module (e.g., the firstcommunication module 240, WiGig module 340, or 5G NR module 360)configured to transmit and/or receive a first signal having a firstfrequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz; a second wireless communicationmodule (e.g., the second communication module 250, Wi-Fi module 350, orLTE module 370) configured to transmit and/or receive a second signalhaving a second frequency lower than the first frequency; and a controlcircuit (e.g., the processor 120 or processor 210), wherein the controlcircuit may be configured to wirelessly communicate first data with anexternal device using the first wireless communication module, tomonitor the temperature of the electronic device while communicatingwith the external device, and to wirelessly communicate second data withthe external device using the second wireless communication module onbehalf of the first wireless communication module, based at least partlyon the monitored temperature.

According to certain embodiments, monitoring further comprisesmonitoring the temperature based on at least one of at least onetemperature sensor, an operating time, a data throughput, and a currentconsumption of the first wireless communication module.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a communication operation of anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Prior to a detailed description thereof, an electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 101 or electronic device 200) may be in a state ofestablishing a first communication connection with an external deviceusing a first communication module (e.g., the first communication module240, WiGig module 340, or 5G NR module 360). For example, a processor(e.g., the processor 120 or processor 210) of the electronic device maywirelessly communicate first data with the external device using thefirst communication module.

Referring to FIG. 4, in operation 401, the processor of the electronicdevice according to an embodiment of the present disclosure maydetermine whether the data throughput of the first communication moduleis equal to or greater than (or exceeds) a designated reference value.For example, the processor may periodically determine whether the datathroughput of the first communication module is equal to or greater thanthe reference value while providing a mirroring service using anexternal device directly connected in a wireless manner or an externaldevice (e.g., the display device such as a TV or a monitor) indirectlyconnected through a dongle device (not shown). According to anembodiment, the processor may transmit data (e.g., video) of a firstservice quality (e.g., UHD resolution) to the external device.

When the data throughput of the first communication module is less than(or equal to or less than) the reference value based on thedetermination result of operation 401, the processor may continueoperation 401. On the other hand, when the data throughput of the firstcommunication module is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) thereference value based on the determination result of operation 401, theprocessor may monitor (e.g., identify, measure, or estimate) thetemperature of the first communication module in operation 403.

In some embodiments, operation 401 may be omitted. For example, theprocessor may monitor the temperature of the first communication modulewhile the electronic device and the external device perform wirelesscommunication through the first communication connection establishedbetween the electronic device and the external device using the firstcommunication module.

According to an embodiment, the temperature of the first communicationmodule may be monitored in various methods. For example, the processormay periodically measure the temperature of the first communicationmodule using at least one of at least one temperature sensor disposed inthe housing (e.g., around the first communication module). In anotherexample, the processor may estimate the temperature of the firstcommunication module in consideration of at least one of the datathroughput, operating time, and current consumption of the firstcommunication module.

In operation 405, the processor according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may determine whether the temperature of the firstcommunication module (or electronic device) is equal to or higher than(or exceeds) a designated reference temperature (e.g., 50 degrees C./122degrees F.). In some embodiments, the processor may determine whetherthe temperature of the first communication module (or electronic device)satisfies the reference temperature.

When the temperature of the first communication module is less than (orequal to or lower than) the reference temperature based on thedetermination result of operation 405, the processor may proceed tooperation 401. On the other hand, when the temperature of the firstcommunication module is equal to or higher than (or exceeds) thereference temperature, the processor may perform handover to a secondcommunication module (e.g., the second communication module 250, theWi-Fi module 350, or the LTE module 370) in operation 407. For example,the processor may seamlessly transmit data, which has been transmittedto the external device through the first communication module, to theexternal device through the second communication module. According to anembodiment, the processor may turn off the power of the firstcommunication module to quickly cool the heated first communicationmodule. According to an embodiment, the processor may change the servicequality while performing handover to transmit data to the externaldevice. For example, the processor may change video data (first data) ofa UTD resolution to video data (second data) of an FHD resolution basedon the performance (e.g., data throughput, bandwidth, or transmissionspeed) of the second communication module and may transmit the result.According to an embodiment, the processor may provide a user withnotification of a change in the service quality.

In FIG. 4, handover between the first communication module and thesecond communication module may be performed based at least partly onthe temperature of the first communication module. However, according toan embodiment, the processor may periodically identify the usage of thefirst communication module, which is wirelessly and communicablyconnected to the external device, and may perform handover between thefirst communication module and the second communication module based atleast partly on the identified usage.

According to an embodiments of the present disclosure, the firstreference temperature for the handover may be set differently for eachapplication (app), function, or service. Even if the temperature of thefirst communication module 240 satisfies the first referencetemperature, at least one App may be set to do not perform handover tothe second communication module 250, or to perform handover when thetemperature of the first communication module 240 satisfies the thirdreference temperature that is equal to or greater than the firstreference temperature.

According to an embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor 210may control whether performing handover to the second communicationmodule 250 based on a remaining time until an end of the firstcommunication connection even if the temperature of the firstcommunication module 240 satisfies the first reference temperature.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are flowcharts illustrating a communication operation ofan electronic device according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, and FIG. 5C is an exemplary diagram illustrating an exampleof notifying a user of handover of an electronic device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5C is a block diagram describing a smartphone 530 transmittingvideo data to a television or display device 550. The smartphone 530 iscapable of transmitting UHD resolution video and the display device 550is capable of displaying UHD resolution video.

Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5C, in operation 501, a processor (e.g., theprocessor 120 or the processor 210) of an electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 101 or the electronic device 200) according to anembodiment of the present disclosure may transmit data to an externaldevice (e.g., the display device such as a TV or a monitor) through afirst communication module (e.g., the first communication module 240,WiGig module 340, or 5G NR module 360). For example, the processor ofthe electronic device (such as a smartphone 530) may be directlyconnected to the external device (such as a television or display device550) in a wireless manner or may be indirectly connected to the externaldevice through a dongle device (not shown) to provide a mirroringservice. For example, the electronic device may transmit data (e.g.,video) of a first service quality (e.g., a UHD resolution) to theexternal device, by for example, casting.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in operation 503,the processor may determine whether the data throughput of the firstcommunication module is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) adesignated reference value (such as UHD throughput). When the datathroughput of the first communication module is less than (equal to orless than) the reference value based on the determination result ofoperation 503, the processor may proceed to operation 523, to bedescribed later. On the other hand, when the data throughput of thefirst communication module is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) thereference value based on the determination result of operation 503, theprocessor may monitor (or measure or estimate) the temperature of thefirst communication module in operation 505. According to an embodiment,the temperature of the first communication module may be monitored invarious methods. For example, the processor may periodically measure thetemperature of the first communication module using a temperaturesensor, such as a thermometer. In another example, the processor mayestimate the temperature of the first communication module inconsideration of the data throughput, operating time, and currentconsumption of the first communication module.

In some embodiments, operation 503 may be omitted. For example, theprocessor may perform operation 505 while the electronic device and theexternal device perform wireless communication regardless of the datathroughput of the first communication module.

In operation 507, the processor according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may determine whether the temperature of the firstcommunication module is equal to or higher than (or exceeds) adesignated first reference temperature (e.g., 50 degrees C./122 degreesF.).

When the temperature of the first communication module is less than (orequal to or less than) the designated first reference temperature basedon the determination result of operation 507, the processor may proceedto operation 523 to be described later. On the other hand, when thetemperature of the first communication module is equal to or higher than(or exceeds) the designated first reference temperature based on thedetermination result of operation 507, the processor may determinewhether the intensity (or strength) of a received signal of a secondcommunication module (e.g., the second communication module 250, theWi-Fi module 350, or the LTE module 370) is equal to or greater than (orexceeds) a designated reference electric field (e.g., −90 dBm) inoperation 509.

When the intensity of the received signal of the second communicationmodule is less than (or equal to or less than) the reference electricfield based on the determination result of operation 509, the processormay proceed to operation 523 to be described later. On the other hand,when the intensity of the received signal of the second communicationmodule is equal to or greater than (or exceeds) the reference electricfield, the processor may perform handover of a communication connectionwith the external device to the second communication module (e.g., thesecond communication module 250, the Wi-Fi module 350, or the LTE module370) in operation 511. For example, the processor may transmit data,which has been transmitted to the external device through the firstcommunication module, to the external device through the secondcommunication module. According to an embodiment, the processor may turnoff the power of the first communication module to quickly cool the heatof the first communication module. According to an embodiment, theprocessor may change the service quality while performing handover totransmit data to the external device. For example, the processor maychange video data of a UHD resolution to video data of an FHD resolutionbased on the performance (e.g., transmission speed) of the secondcommunication module, and may transmit the result.

According to an embodiment, the processor may provide a user withnotification of a change in the service quality. For example, theprocessor may display a message 531 or 551 for providing notificationthat the resolution of the video has been changed to an FHD due to thehandover, on the display of the electronic device 530 and/or an externaldevice 550, as shown in FIG. 5C.

In operation 513, the processor according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may monitor the temperature of the firstcommunication module after completing the handover. For example, theprocessor may periodically measure the temperature of the firstcommunication module using the temperature sensor. In another example,the processor may estimate the temperature of the first communicationmodule over time. For example, the processor may count a handoveroperating time (e.g., a non-operating time of the first communicationmodule) by activating a timer at the time of performing handover.

In operation 515, the processor according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may determine whether the temperature of the firstcommunication module is equal to or lower than (or below) a designatedsecond reference temperature (e.g., 30 degrees). For example, theprocessor may determine whether the temperature of the firstcommunication module, measured through the temperature sensor, is equalto or lower than the second reference temperature. In another example,the processor may determine whether the counted handover operating timeis equal to or longer than (exceeds) a designated reference time (e.g.,20 minutes). The processor may determine (or confirm or estimate) thatthe temperature of the first communication module is equal to or lowerthan the second reference temperature when the handover operating timeis equal to or longer than the reference time.

When the temperature of the first communication module exceeds (or isequal to or higher than) the second reference temperature (e.g., 30degrees C./88 degrees F.) based on the determination result of operation515, the processor may proceed to operation 519 to be described later.On the other hand, when the temperature of the first communicationmodule is equal to or lower than (or below) the second referencetemperature (e.g., 30 degrees C./88 degrees F.) based on thedetermination result of operation 515, the processor may determinewhether the intensity of a received signal of the first communicationmodule is equal to or more than (or exceeds) a designated referenceelectric field in operation 517. According to an embodiment, theprocessor may further include an operation of turning on the power ofthe first communication module before performing operation 517.

When the intensity of the received signal of the first communicationmodule is less than (or equal to or less than) the reference electricfield based on the determination result of operation 517, the processormay determine whether communication with the external device isterminated in operation 519. When the communication with the externaldevice is not terminated based on the determination result of operation519, the processor may return to operation 513. On the other hand, whenthe communication with the external device is terminated based on thedetermination result of operation 519, the processor may terminate acommunication operation according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

When the intensity of the received signal of the first communicationmodule is equal to or more than (exceeds) the reference electric fieldbased on the determination result of operation 517, the processor mayperform handover of data communication using the second communicationmodule to the first communication module in operation 521.

In operation 523, the processor according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may determine whether the communication with theexternal device is terminated. When the communication with the externaldevice is not terminated based on the determination result of operation523, the processor may return to operation 503. On the other hand, whenthe communication with the external device is terminated based on thedetermination result of operation 523, the processor may terminate thecommunication operation according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

According to an embodiment, the processor of the electronic device mayomit operations 509 and 517, and may perform handover regardless of theintensity of the received signal. According to another embodiment, inoperation 509, when the intensity of a signal received by the secondcommunication module is equal to or less than that of a referenceelectric field, the processor of the electronic device may not performhandover and may display a warning message for notifying a user that theelectronic device is in an overheated state.

According to an embodiment, before performing operation 511 or 521, theprocessor of the electronic device may display a message asking whetherto perform handover to the second communication module or the firstcommunication module, on the display, and may determine whether toperform handover according to a user's selection.

According to an embodiments of the present disclosure, the firstreference temperature for the handover may be set differently for eachapplication (app), function, or service. Even if the temperature of thefirst communication module 240 satisfies the first referencetemperature, at least one App may be set to do not perform handover tothe second communication module 250, or to perform handover when thetemperature of the first communication module 240 satisfies the thirdreference temperature that is equal to or greater than the firstreference temperature.

According to an embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor 210may control whether performing handover to the second communicationmodule 250 based on a remaining time until an end of the firstcommunication connection even if the temperature of the firstcommunication module 240 satisfies the first reference temperature.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of monitoring thetemperature of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, in operation 601, a processor (e.g., the processor120 or the processor 210) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 101 or the electronic device 200) according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure may activate a temperature sensor (e.g., thetemperature sensor 260). For example, the processor may activate thetemperature sensor when a data throughput of a first communicationmodule (e.g., the first communication module 240, the WiGig module 340,or the 5G NR module 360) is equal to or greater than a reference value.The temperature sensor may be located, for example, around the firstcommunication module.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in operation 603,the processor may measure (or recognize or calculate) a currenttemperature of the first communication module (or electronic device)through the temperature sensor. For example, the processor may measurethe temperature through a change in a voltage input to correspond to achange in a resistance value according to the temperature when thetemperature sensor is a thermistor. The processor may, for example,periodically measure the temperature.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when thetemperature measurement is completed, the processor may proceed tooperation 507 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of monitoring thetemperature of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, in operation 701, a processor (e.g., the processor120 or the processor 210) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 101 or the electronic device 200) according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure may activate a timer (not shown). For example,the processor may activate the timer when a data throughput of a firstcommunication module (e.g., the first communication module 240, theWiGig module 340, or the 5G NR module 360) is equal to or greater than areference value. The timer may use, for example, a system clock.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in operation 703,the processor may count an operating time of the first communicationmodule.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in operation 705,the processor may determine whether the operating time of the firstcommunication module is equal to or longer than (or exceeds) a referencetime. For example, the reference time may be calculated (or determined)through repeated experimentation, as a time during which the temperatureof the first communication module reaches a first reference temperature(e.g., 50 degrees) at the time of continuously transmitting data at thedata throughput of the reference value or greater. For example,operation 705 may replace operation 507 of FIG. 5.

When the operating time is equal to or longer than (or exceeds) thereference time based on the determination result of operation 705, theprocessor may proceed to operation 509 of FIG. 5. For example, theprocessor may determine that the temperature of the first communicationmodule is equal to or higher than (exceeds) the first referencetemperature when the operating time of the first communication module isequal to or longer than (exceeds) the reference time, and may proceed tooperation 509 of FIG. 5. On the other hand, when the operating time isshorter than (or equal to or shorter than) the reference time based onthe determination result of operation 705, the processor may proceed tooperation 523 of FIG. 5. For example, when the operating time of thefirst communication module is shorter than (or equal to or shorter than)the reference time, the processor may determine that the temperature ofthe first communication module is lower than (or equal to or lower than)the first reference temperature, and may proceed to operation 523 ofFIG. 5.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor mayestimate a change in the temperature of the first communication moduleusing the data throughput and operating time of the first communicationmodule.

In FIG. 7, when the data throughput of the first communication module isequal to or greater than the reference value (e.g., “YES” in operation503), the processor may perform operation 701 of activating the timer.However, according to an embodiment, the processor may perform operation701 regardless of the data throughput of the first communication module.For example, the processor may omit operation 503 and may proceeddirectly to operation 701 after performing operation 501 of FIG. 5. Atthis time, the reference time of operation 705 may be a time (e.g., 1hour) during which the temperature of the first communication modulereaches the first reference temperature (e.g., 50 degrees C./122 degreesF.) when the first communication module operates in a normal stateregardless of the data throughput of the first communication module.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of monitoring thetemperature of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, in operation 801, a processor (e.g., the processor120 or the processor 210) of an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 101 or electronic device 200) according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may measure a current consumption of a firstcommunication module (e.g., the first communication module 240, theWiGig module 340, or the 5G NR module 360). For example, the processormay measure the current consumption of the first communication modulewhen the data throughput of the first communication module is equal toor greater than a reference value. According to an embodiment, theelectronic device may further include a separate measurement module (notshown) that measures the current consumption of the first communicationmodule.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in operation 803,the processor may determine whether the measured current consumption isequal to or more than (or exceeds) a reference current amount (e.g., 400mA).

When the measured current consumption is less than (or equal to or lessthan) the reference current amount based on the determination result ofoperation 803, the processor may proceed to operation 523 of FIG. 5. Onthe other hand, when the measured current consumption is equal to ormore than (or exceeds) the reference current amount based on thedetermination result of operation 803, the processor may count theoperating time of the first communication module. For example, theprocessor may activate a timer to count the operating time of the firstcommunication module.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in operation 807,the processor may determine whether the operating time of the firstcommunication module is equal to or longer than (exceeds) a designatedreference time (e.g., 30 minutes). For example, the reference time maybe calculated (or empirically determined) through repeatedexperimentation, as the time during which the temperature of the firstcommunication module reaches a first reference temperature (e.g., 50degrees C./122 degrees F.) when the first communication module operatesat the reference current or more. For example, operation 807 may replaceoperation 507 of FIG. 5.

When the operating time of the first communication module is equal to orlonger than (or exceeds) the reference time based on the determinationresult of operation 807, the processor may proceed to operation 509 ofFIG. 5. For example, when the operating time of the first communicationmodule is equal to or longer than (or exceeds) the reference time, theprocessor may determine that the temperature of the first communicationmodule is equal to or higher than (or exceeds) the first referencetemperature, and may proceed to operation 509 of FIG. 5. On the otherhand, when the operating time of the first communication module isshorter than (or equal to or shorter than) the reference time based onthe determination result of operation 807, the processor may proceed tooperation 523 of FIG. 5. For example, when the operating time of thefirst communication module is shorter than (or equal to or shorter than)the reference time, the processor may determine that the temperature ofthe first communication module is lower than (or equal to or lower than)the first reference temperature, and may proceed to operation 523 ofFIG. 5.

In FIG. 8, when the data throughput of the first communication module isequal to or greater than the reference value (e.g., “YES” in operation503), the processor may perform operation 801 of measuring the currentconsumption. However, in an embodiment, the processor may performoperation 801 regardless of the data throughput of the firstcommunication module. For example, the processor may omit operation 503and may proceed directly to operation 801 after performing operation 501of FIG. 5.

According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, acommunication method of an electronic device (e.g., the electronicdevice 101 or the electronic device 200) may include performing datacommunication using a first transceiver (e.g., the first communicationmodule 240, the WiGig module 340, or the 5G NR module 360); determiningwhether a data throughput of the first transceiver is equal to orgreater than a designated reference value; monitoring the temperature ofthe first transceiver when the data throughput is equal to or greaterthan the designated reference value; and determining whether to performa handover from the first transceiver to a second transceiver (e.g., thesecond communication module 250, the Wi-Fi module 350, or the LTE module370) having a data throughput smaller than that of the first transceiverto perform data communication when the monitored temperature is equal toor higher than a designated first reference temperature.

According to certain embodiments, the performing of the handover mayfurther include determining whether the intensity of a received signalof the second transceiver is equal to or more than a designatedreference electric field; performing the handover when the intensitythereof is equal to or more than the reference electric field; andmaintaining data communication through the first transceiver when theintensity thereof is less than the reference electric field.

According to certain embodiments, the communication method may furtherinclude periodically monitoring the temperature of the first transceiverafter performing the handover; and determining whether to perform ahandover from the second transceiver back to the first transceiver basedat least in part on whether the temperature of the first transceiverdecreases to a designated second reference temperature or lower.

According to certain embodiments, the performing of the handover to thefirst transceiver may include determining whether the intensity of areceived signal of the first communication module is equal to or morethan a designated reference electric field when the temperature of thefirst transceiver decreases to the second reference temperature orlower; performing handover from the second transceiver to the firsttransceiver when the intensity of the received signal of the firsttransceiver is equal to or more than the reference electric field; andmaintaining data communication through the second transceiver when theintensity of the received signal of the first transceiver is less thanthe reference electric field.

According to certain embodiments, the monitoring of the temperature ofthe first transceiver may include periodically measuring the temperatureof the first transceiver through a temperature sensor (e.g., temperaturesensor 260) located around the first transceiver.

According to certain embodiments, the monitoring of the temperature ofthe first transceiver may include counting the operating time of thefirst transceiver; determining whether the operating time of the firsttransceiver is equal to or longer than a designated reference time; anddetermining that the temperature of the first transceiver is equal to orhigher than the first reference temperature when the operating timethereof is equal to or higher than the reference time.

According to certain embodiments, the monitoring of the temperature ofthe first transceiver may include measuring the current consumption ofthe first transceiver; identifying the operating time of the firsttransceiver when the measured current consumption exceeds a designatedreference current; and determining that the temperature of the firsttransceiver is equal to or higher than the first reference temperaturewhen the operating time thereof is equal to or longer than thedesignated reference time.

According to certain embodiments, the communication method may furtherinclude adjusting the quality of data communication based on theperformance of the second transceiver at the time of performing thehandover; and displaying, on a display (e.g., the display device 160 orthe display 230), a user interface notifying a user that the handoverhas been performed and the quality has been adjusted.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure can prevent the electronicdevice from overheating due to high-speed communication. Certainembodiments of the present disclosure can control heat generationthrough handover of data communication and provide seamless datacommunication. In addition, certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure can quickly dissipate excessive heat of the electronic deviceby turning off the power of the high-speed transceiver at the time ofcompletion of handover.

The electronic device according to certain embodiments may be one ofvarious types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include,for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), acomputer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medicaldevice, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. According toan embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic devices are not limitedto those described above.

It should be appreciated that certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit thetechnological features set forth herein to particular embodiments andinclude various changes, equivalents, or replacements for acorresponding embodiment. With regard to the description of thedrawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar orrelated elements. It is to be understood that a singular form of a nouncorresponding to an item may include one or more of the things, unlessthe relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, eachof such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one ofA or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least oneof A, B, or C,” may include any one of, or all possible combinations ofthe items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. Asused herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” maybe used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another,and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance ororder). It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a firstelement) is referred to, with or without the term “operatively” or“communicatively”, as “coupled with,” “coupled to,” “connected with,” or“connected to” another element (e.g., a second element), it means thatthe element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g.,wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

As used herein, the term “module” may include a unit implemented inhardware, software, or firmware, and may interchangeably be used withother terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or“circuitry”. A module may be a single integral component, or a minimumunit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. Forexample, according to an embodiment, the module may be implemented in aform of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Certain embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software(e.g., the program 140) including one or more instructions that arestored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory138) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device 101).For example, a processor (e.g., the processor 120) of the machine (e.g.,the electronic device 101) may invoke at least one of the one or moreinstructions stored in the storage medium, and execute it, with orwithout using one or more other components under the control of theprocessor. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at leastone function according to the at least one instruction invoked. The oneor more instructions may include a code generated by a complier or acode executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage mediummay be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Wherein,the term “non-transitory” simply means that the storage medium is atangible device, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagneticwave), but this term does not differentiate between where data issemi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data istemporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to certain embodiments ofthe disclosure may be included and provided in a computer programproduct. The computer program product may be traded as a product betweena seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed inthe form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc readonly memory (CD-ROM)), or be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded)online via an application store (e.g., PlayStore™), or between two userdevices (e.g., smart phones) directly. If distributed online, at leastpart of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or atleast temporarily stored in the machine-readable storage medium, such asmemory of the manufacturer's server, a server of the application store,or a relay server.

According to certain embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or aprogram) of the above-described components may include a single entityor multiple entities. According to certain embodiments, one or more ofthe above-described components may be omitted, or one or more othercomponents may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality ofcomponents (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a singlecomponent. In such a case, according to certain embodiments, theintegrated component may still perform one or more functions of each ofthe plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they areperformed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components beforethe integration. According to certain embodiments, operations performedby the module, the program, or another component may be carried outsequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or moreof the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, orone or more other operations may be added.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein are provided merely to easilydescribe technical details of the present disclosure and to help theunderstanding of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limitthe scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of thepresent disclosure should be construed as including all modifications orvarious other embodiments based on the technical idea of the presentdisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable communication device comprising: afirst wireless communication module configured to transmit or receive awireless signal corresponding to 5G communication using an array antennaincluding a plurality of antenna; a second wireless communication moduleconfigured to transmit or receive a wireless signal corresponding to 4Gcommunication using another antenna other than the plurality ofantennas; a temperature sensor; at least one processor; and a memoryoperatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memorystores instructions that, when executed, cause the at least oneprocessor to: establish a 5G communication link between the portablecommunication device and a first communication network using the firstwireless communication module; perform first data communication via the5G communication link; determine whether a data throughput is greaterthan a specified data throughput; while the data throughput ismaintained greater than the specified data throughput, continue toperform the first data communication via the 5G communication link andmonitor a temperature of the portable communication device using thetemperature sensor; and based at least in part on a determination that avalue corresponding to the temperature monitored while the first datacommunication is performed is higher than a specified value, release the5G communication link and perform second data communication via a 4Gcommunication link established between the portable communication deviceand a second communication network using the second wirelesscommunication module.
 2. The portable communication device of claim 1,wherein the processor is configured to: establish another 5Gcommunication link using the first wireless communication module or athird communication module included in the portable communication devicebased at least in part on a determination that the temperature is lowerthan the specified value after the 5G communication link is released. 3.The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor isconfigured to: establish another 5G communication link using the firstwireless communication module or a third communication module includedin the portable communication device based at least in part on adetermination that the temperature is lower than another specified valuelower than the specified value after the 5G communication link isreleased.
 4. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is configured to: as part of the performing of the first datacommunication, display a first indication indicative of the first datacommunication being performed via the 5G communication link; and as partof the performing of the second data communication, display a secondindication indicative of the second data communication being performedvia the 4G communication link.
 5. A portable communication devicecomprising: a first wireless communication module configured to transmitor receive a wireless signal corresponding to 5G communication using anarray antenna including a plurality of antenna; a second wirelesscommunication module configured to transmit or receive a wireless signalcorresponding to 4G communication using another antenna other than theplurality of antennas; a temperature sensor; at least one processor; anda memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein thememory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the at least oneprocessor to: establish a 5G communication link between the portablecommunication device and a first communication network using the firstwireless communication module; perform first data communication via the5G communication link; while the first data communication is performed,monitor a temperature of the portable communication device using thetemperature sensor; and based at least in part on a determination that avalue corresponding to the temperature monitored while the first datacommunication is performed is higher than a specified value, release the5G communication link and perform second data communication via a 4Gcommunication link established between the portable communication deviceand a second communication network using the second wirelesscommunication module.
 6. The portable communication device of claim 5,wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether a datathroughput corresponding to the first data communication is equal to orgreater than a specified data throughput; and while the data throughputis maintained as equal to or greater than the specified data throughput,perform the monitoring of the temperature.
 7. The portable communicationdevice of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to: establishanother 5G communication link using the first wireless communicationmodule or a third communication module included in the portablecommunication device based at least in part on a determination that thetemperature is lower than the specified value after the 5G communicationlink is released.
 8. The portable communication device of claim 5,wherein the processor is configured to: establish another 5Gcommunication link using the first wireless communication module or athird communication module included in the portable communication devicebased at least in part on a determination that the temperature is lowerthan another specified value lower than the specified value after the 5Gcommunication link is released.
 9. The portable communication device ofclaim 5, wherein the processor is configured to: as part of theperforming of the first data communication, display a first indicationindicative of the first data communication being performed via the 5Gcommunication link; and as part of the performing of the second datacommunication, display a second indication indicative of the second datacommunication being performed via the 4G communication link.
 10. Anelectronic device comprising: a first communication module configured tocommunicate using a 5G communication protocol; a second communicationmodule configured to communicate using a 4G communication protocol; atleast one processor operatively coupled to the first communicationmodule and to the second communication module; and a memory operativelycoupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory storesinstructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:determine whether a data throughput of the first communication module isgreater than a designated reference value, while the data throughput ofthe first communication module is maintained greater than the designatedreference value, continue to perform 5G communication using the firstcommunication module and monitor a temperature of at least part of theelectronic device, and release the 5G communication using the firstcommunication module, perform 4G communication using the secondcommunication module based at least in part on a value corresponding tothe monitored temperature being higher than a designated referencevalue.
 11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the firstcommunication module comprises intermediate frequency integrated circuit(IFIC) and a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), andperforms 5G communication using an array antenna; and wherein the secondcommunication module comprises a second RFIC.
 12. The electronic deviceof claim 11, wherein the first RFIC performs 5G communication, and thesecond RFIC performs 4G communication.
 13. An electronic devicecomprising: a display; a sensor configured to sense temperature of theelectronic device; and at least one processor; and a memory operativelycoupled to the at least one processor, wherein the memory storesinstructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:display a first connection state indicating a connection between theelectronic device and a first communication network, in response todetecting a value corresponding to a temperature of the electronicdevice exceeds a specified value, disconnect the connection between theelectronic device and the first communication network, performcommunication through a second communication network, display a secondconnection state indicating a connection between the electronic deviceand the second communication network.